Radiation oncologist to join USA Health
Huddleston will treat a variety of cancers, including brain, head and neck, lung, gastrointestinal, prostate, gynecologic and skin cancers.
By Carol McPhail
cmcphail@health.southalabama.edu
In November, Adam J. Huddleston, M.D., a board certified radiation oncologist, will join the USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute, where he will serve as part of a multidisciplinary cancer care team.
Huddleston will treat a variety of cancers, including brain, head and neck, lung, gastrointestinal, prostate, gynecologic and skin cancers. He also will serve as assistant professor of interdisciplinary clinical oncology at the MCI.
“We are happy to welcome Dr. Huddleston to the Mitchell Cancer Institute,” said Robert Gilbert, M.D., radiation oncologist at the MCI. “He has been a vital force in the treatment of cancer patients and the delivery of radiation treatments in Baldwin County and the upper Gulf Coast. His addition to our practice helps broaden the care we are able to provide in the Baldwin and Mobile county areas.”
Huddleston received his medical degree from Florida State University College of Medicine. He completed postgraduate training at Orlando Regional Medical Center in Orlando, Fla., and the University of California Davis Cancer Center in Sacramento, Calif., where he was chief resident. Most recently, Huddleston served as medical director at the Gulf Coast Cancer Centers in Baldwin County.
Radiation therapy is one of the most common treatments for cancer along with surgery and chemotherapy. Radiation therapy uses high-energy particles such as x-rays, gamma rays, electron beams, or protons, to destroy or damage cancer cells while leaving nearby healthy cells intact.
William Hixson, a radiation oncologist at the MCI Kilborn Clinic in Fairhope, said that USA Health’s multidisciplinary approach brings medical oncology, radiation oncology, surgical oncology and gynecologic oncology under one roof, allowing for patient-specific review and continuity of care. “I look forward to the perspective that Dr. Huddleston will bring to help us grow and continue making strides in improving women’s health and cancer care,” Hixson said.
Huddleston said he chose to pursue radiation oncology because of his longtime interest in basic science. “All throughout my life, I have gravitated toward healthcare,” he said. “My interests have been caring for people and basic science. Coupled with technology, they made radiation oncology the perfect fit.”
New radiation technology and new treatment approaches, including the integration of immunotherapy and chemotherapy with radiation, represent the future of cancer care, Huddleston said. “Today, radiation treatments are faster and more accurate, and the patient tolerance is better,” he said.
Huddleston will see patients at the Mitchell Cancer Institute at 1660 Springhill Ave., in Mobile and at the Mitchell Cancer Institute Kilborn Clinic, at 1047 Fairhope Ave., in Fairhope. Call 251-410-1010 to schedule an appointment.
